Watchout For WOLVES: Keys To Discerning Authentic Ministries & Evaluating Doctrinal Trends

your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Os Guinn ess states that this modern focus “undercuts true dependence on God’s sovereign awakening by fostering the notion th at we can effect revival by human means” (pg. 20). The danger here is that we can become so clever in all of our techniques that we almost eliminate our need for God. Once we take our need for God and dependency on God out of the mix, “God experiences” soon give way to external conformity. When this happens, we lose the power to transmit our faith to the next generation. Our faith has become a formula instead of an experience with God.

Sometimes our success can actually undermine our succession!

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14

4. COMFORTABLE EXPERIENCE

Where does our attempt to make people comfortable leave off and our need to challenge our people to become living sacrifices and spend themselves and their resources on Christ and His kingdom begin? One pastor said it this way, “My job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Paul said this in Romans 12:1-2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

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